Chocolate Whiskey Cake

Take this cake for instance… I’ve made it three times now. I have the recipe memorized. Why? Is it that amazingly good? Well, no. It’s good, but not bake me three times in 4 days good. It is apparently the most delicious thing that little mischief monster below can grab from the counter and run around the house with though… Even from a booby trapped impossible to get to oh my God the dog just walked across the dining room table spot. Yeah, it’s been that kind of week. But then, when I listen to the stories my friends have about their pups, I pat this cake thief on the head and praise him for not needing yet another bath.

(Ya’ll know how this ends right?)

As for the recipe.This cake is a mature cake, not something for the kiddies. And not because it’s heavy in whiskey flavor, but because it’s not terribly sweet. It’s rich and heavy and you don’t need a lot of it. Serve with whiskey whipped cream to add a little punch.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10 springform pan (if you don't have one, a regular cake pan will do the job.). Dust pan with 2 tbs cocoa powder and set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves together in a large bowl.

In a large saucepan over low heat, stir together the 3/4 cup cocoa powder, espresso powder, butter, and whiskey. Whisk until butter is melted and mixture is smooth, whisk in the sugars. Let Cool 10 minutes.

When cooled, whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture. Lastly, toss the chocolate chips in the same bowl that the flour was just in with 1 tbs cocoa powder and pour into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour until a toothpick inserted the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.